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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28272420">what must it be like to grow up that beautiful?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/midsummerghostt/pseuds/midsummerghostt'>midsummerghostt</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>College AU, Help, Lacrosse, M/M, Modern AU, can you tell i don't know anything about lacrosse, i submitted this for a GRADE, sports AU, this man read it and said nice work, to my proFESSOR</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 21:41:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,618</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28272420</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/midsummerghostt/pseuds/midsummerghostt</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p><em>"He missed you a lot, you know? When our families had that week-long trip together, he spent most of it texting you."</em><br/><em>Patroclus tried his best to not look flustered. “Thanks, uh- I’ll catch you later. I gotta go… check on some stuff.”<br/>“Uh-huh, sure.” </em><br/>-<br/>College Lacrosse AU! I had to write this for college, pls forgive me if it's sub-par, I was very much running on fumes. Thought I'd share for fun :)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Achilles/Patroclus (Song of Achilles)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>127</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>what must it be like to grow up that beautiful?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>-<br/>
</p><p>"Heads up!"</p><p>The lacrosse ball whizzed past Patroclus’s ear. He jumped at the sensation as the weight of his backpack made him stumble to the side. He turned in the direction of the voice to see the familiar face of Ajax grinning at him from the edge of the field.</p><p>"Pat! It's you!" His hulking figure grew larger as he sprinted to meet his teammate. "Sorry about that, it nearly hit you—Diomedes is still kinda new to lacrosse and probably a bit hungover from last night, so his aim is lacking today. You all good though?"</p><p>Patroclus smiled, thumped his teammate’s padded shoulder. "All good! Just gave me a scare." Ajax breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m trying my best with the new recruits but some only really seem to listen to Achilles.” He looked over at the field to see some players goofing off, playing some sort of mix between Chicken Fight and jousting.</p><p>“We’re really only going over drills right now, but I’m game if you’re up to play later?" asked Ajax.</p><p>"Sure, I’m down.” A loud ping came from his pocket and Patroclus whipped out his phone. A new text popped in, followed by a series of smiley faces and hearts. 
</p><p>He looked up back at Ajax “I just got a text from Achilles, apparently he wants to show me something. Is he around?”</p><p>“Yeah, he mentioned having to finish up a paper so he’s probably in his room.” He gestured in the direction of the dorms and smiled. "He missed you a lot, you know? When our families had that week-long trip together, he spent most of it texting you."</p><p>Patroclus tried his best to not look flustered. “Thanks, uh- I’ll catch you later. I gotta go… check on some stuff.”</p><p>“Uh-huh, sure.”</p><p>Patroclus waved Ajax goodbye as he briskly walked to the side building Achilles was in. Puddles from an earlier rainstorm littered the dirt path, the mud coating the sides of his old sneakers. Another ping from his phone told him that Achilles was probably asking him what was taking him so long. Pulling up the hood on his windbreaker, he huffed out a breath of air before opening the door.</p><p>-<br/>
</p><p>The first thing Patroclus saw was Achilles, sprawled out face-down on the couch as he fiddled with his brand new phone. He didn’t seem to notice that Patroclus had arrived and started making silly faces at his screen, probably to send as a Snapchat to Briseis.</p><p>“Looks like you’re having fun.” laughed Patroclus.</p><p>Achilles whipped up his head and propped up his chin with his unoccupied hand. “Not as much fun if you’d been here. How was class?”</p><p>“It was good.” He walked over to the couch, dropping his backpack to the floor, and nudged Achilles’ legs over. “Our professor said that the papers we submitted last week were ‘of great quality’ so I’m feeling solid. How’ve you been?”</p><p>Achilles sat up and slumped over, leaning his head on Patroclus’ shoulder. “School’s been good. Business has been a breeze, and my music elective has been pretty fun. Coach has been on my ass ever since we came back from break though.” He fiddled with a fraying thread on the cuff of his University sweatshirt. “He keeps saying that we need to have the new guys spend less time prepping and more time doing drills, but even I can’t make miracles. Speaking of, I owe Ajax a meal swipe for taking over for me today. Have you eaten yet?”</p><p>“No, but I could use something before I work on my proposal.”</p><p>Achilles hummed in acknowledgment and turned to angle the phone so both their faces were in the camera’s view. “Can I take a picture?” he asked. Patroclus leaned in a bit closer to be in the picture but was caught off guard by Achilles pulling him closer. Laughing at the sudden pull from his boyfriend he was surprised by the quick press of Achilles’ lips on his cheek, but welcomed it nonetheless.</p><p>-<br/>
</p><p>A biting gale of wind nipped Patroclus’ ankles. The weather really bit them hard this season— February just wasn’t ideal for a team with access to only an open playing field. He’d have to remember to buy thicker socks at some point.</p><p>“Pat!” his coach called out, “You’re up! I’m switching out Nestor, he’s getting too aggressive for midfield.”</p><p>He ran out onto the turf, assessing the lay of the playing field. At some point, he’d lost track of how many technical fouls had been doled out— just one of the quirks of playing against Troy U, he supposed. Their captain (Hector was his name if he remembered right) was no slouch and gave Achilles as good as he got. Half of these games ended with some pretty colorful bruising on both sides from all the body-checking and stick-whacking. To his right was the glaring red light from the digital clock. They were a third of the way into the third quarter, but so far their defense strategy had been holding up. Coach Agamemnon was definitely going to chew out Achilles later, judging by the grim face he’d had on before.</p><p>From his spot in the midfield, he saw Achilles' sprinting through the opposition’s defense like a cheetah on the hunt. Even from a distance, Patroclus could make out the flex of his muscles as he took aim and shot the ball into the net.</p><p>"Pat, c'mon dude! I know you're all moony-eyed over his ass or whatever but you gotta focus!"  Ajax yelled cheekily as he ran past him, "Getcha head in the game!"</p><p>-<br/>
</p><p>After everyone had washed up, the team had celebrated by heading to the nearby town’s pub. The setting sun had long gone by the time they’d emerged from the rowdy room. The high of the win had clearly not run its full course, however, as some of the guys mentioned heading to somebody else’s place after getting sloshed at the bar.</p><p>“Achilles, come with us,” said a tipsy teammate “You too, Patroclus, let’s go have some fun~”</p><p>“Thanks, but I think he’s had more than enough for the both of us. Gonna bring him back home and call it a night.” Patroclus lifted Achilles’ arm up over his neck as he tried to stabilize their combined weight on the sidewalk.“Good game today, guys. I’ll see you on Monday!”</p><p>A warbled chorus of goodnight wishes echoed into the night as some of the others also made plans to head home. Patroclus shifted the dead weight around his neck some more as he got a better grip on his boyfriend and not his puffy jacket. The two ambled down the road until they made it to the college’s bus stop, where Achilles seemed to be waking up from his impromptu nap.</p><p>“How’d we get here?” he asked as he was lowered gently onto the bench.</p><p>“We went to the bar, remember? And you got one of those daiquiris you like so much when I wasn’t looking, don’t think I forgot that.”</p><p>“They’re so damn good, I don’t care.” Achilles pouted.</p><p>Patroclus laughed, the buzz in his system warming him up despite the cold air.</p><p>“Yeah, yeah I know. It’s okay, I got you.” He looked to the side and saw the university emblazoned bus rounding the corner to come to their stop. “Alright, up we go. We gotta get you home before you pass out and drool all over on me again.”</p><p>-<br/>
</p><p>The pair of them stumbled their way through the dorm suite, each holding onto each other as they kicked off their sneakers. Patroclus had ended up feeling drowsier than expected on the bus, probably from the overhead heating vent and quiet rumble of the empty road. His koala of a boyfriend had ended up sleeping on his shoulder the whole ride home, had definitely drooled on him again, and he really didn’t feel like making the commute back home on the train at this hour.</p><p>He started saying “Hey, can I stay—”  but was cut off by Achilles taking off his windbreaker.</p><p>“Stay over tonight, there’s no way you’re going on the train this late on a weekend.”</p><p>He nodded in agreement. They made their way to Achilles’ room, stumbling in the dark between baskets of laundry and lacrosse gear. Achilles sat on the edge of his twin mattress and struggled through the sleep-drunk to unzip himself out of the parka. He flung it to the floor in frustration and flopped back on the bed.</p><p>Patroclus looked fondly at his restful face. “Scooch over, you bed hog.” He laid down on his side, facing Achilles, and tried closing his eyes.</p><p>“Hey,” murmured Achilles, patting Patroclus’ cheek, “Did you ever think that it would be like this?”</p><p>He squinted out of one eye, and said “What? That we’d win and you’d get drunk ‘cause you are a lightweight with a fifty-year-old divorcee’s taste?”</p><p>Achilles’ laugh was sharp and dry. “No, you dummy. I mean this. Us.” He stared into Patroclus’ eyes like they held the secrets to the universe. “Back when we first met, I thought that you were so different it surprised me. I’d never met anyone like you before and I didn’t expect anything of it, honestly.” He looked away into the darkness of the room, the moonlight highlighting a glint in his eyes. “Half the time, I wonder about what could have happened to change everything.”</p><p>“You say this like I’m going somewhere.” </p><p>He hummed in agreement. “Maybe. I wonder sometimes about what I’d do if I lost you.”</p><p>Patroclus grabbed the hand on his cheek and brought it to his lips. “I love you too.”</p><p>“Goodnight, Patroclus.”</p><p>“Goodnight, Achilles.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Apologies and many thanks to anyone reading this! Hope you enjoyed it! :)<br/>(Also, if you notice any mistakes or know more about lacrosse than me, etc. ps lmk!)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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